Sewing-machine.



J. E. MILLER.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLIOA'I'ION FILED MAR. 21, 1908.

Patented Opt. 18, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. E. MILLER.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 21, 1908;

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

, 4 BHBETHHEBT'Q.

46 Ina/ 1260];

fllz/ Attorney J. E. MILLER.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED MAR. 21, 190B.

Patented Oct 18,1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

@IIIIIIIIIIE? Wit/06556.5

JESSE E. MILLER, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

SEWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Application filed March 21, 1908. Serial No. 422,463.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jesse E. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sewing-Machines, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing.

My improvement relates particularly to sewing machines for closingfilled bags, such bags being closed by sewing across the upper endinstead of tying such end. But my improvement is applicable also tosewing machines for sewing other articles which are deliveredsuccessively to the sewing mecha nism, each article being sewedindependently of the others and the thread requiring cutting after thecompletion of the sewing of one of said articles. Such sewing machinesfor closing filled bags usually comprise a suitable moving support uponwhich the bags rest and by which they are carried past the sewingmechanism. And such sewing machines are usually provided with means forstopping and starting the operation of the sewing'mechanism, to the endthat said sewing mechanismmay operate only while a bag 1s passing suchmechanism.

The object of thepresent improvement is to provide thread-cuttingmechanism whichis combined with the sewing mechanismin such manner as tooperate automatically upon the stopping of the latter and so as to beadapted also to be operated manually whenever desired. i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machineembodying my improvement; Fig. 2 is an upright transverse section on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3 is asection on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of thearrow; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section'on the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. (3 is a sectionalelevation of the mechanism in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a detail elevation ofthe sewing machine head as seen in the upper portion of Fig. 2; Fig. 8is a horizontal section on the line 8'8 of Fig. 7 Fig. 9 is a detailsectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction ofthe arrow; Fig. 10 is a bottom view of the mechanism adjacent theline 99in Fig. 7; Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 8, looking inthe direction of the arrow; Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the movablecutting member; Fig. 13 is a section on the line 1313 of Fig. 12,looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 14 is a section on the line141 1 of Fig. 12, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 15 is aplan of the stationary cutting member; Fig. 16 is a side elevation ofthe same cutting member; Fig. 17 is a front view of a link joining themovable cutting member to a hand lever; Fig. 18 is a side view of thesame link; Fig. 19 is a detail plan of the presser foot; Fig. 20 is adetail of another form of the presser foot.

Referring to said drawings, A designates the frame supporting the sewinghead, B.

C represents a support or conveyer for the bags or other articles to besewed. The frame, A, has four upright standards, 1; a horizontal tableportion, 2; a head standard, 8, mounted upon the front portion of thetable, 2, and supporting the head, B, having the depending outer arm, 1,and inner arm, 5, which correspond, respectively, to the ordinary upperarm and lower arm or base plate of ordinary forms of sewing machines.

For the driving of the sewing mechanism the usual band wheel, 6,receives a band, 7 extending around said wheel and around two guidewheels, 8, on the head standard,

3, and thence around a grooved wheel, 9, on

the horizontal shaft, 10,. under the table, 2. Said shaft, 10, is drivenby a belt, D, going around a band wheel, 11, on the shaft, 10, from aband wheel, 12, on the horizontal power shaft, 13, mounted in suitablebearings (not shown) in the rear frame standards, 1, 1. Power istransmitted to said power shaft, 13, by any desired means (not shown).

The conveyor, C, is parallel to the front of the frame, A, and directlybeneath the sewing head, B, and said conveyer may be raised and loweredby means of a cam, 14:, hearing against a horizontal roller, 15, mountedin the frame of the conveyer. Said cam is actuated by mechanism made thesub-- ject-matter of United States Patent, No. 918,184, granted to meApril 18, 1909.

Inasmuch as the mechanism for carrying the thread and making thestitches is not of my invention and may be of any desired form, I deemit unnecessary to illustrate and describe the same.

Adjacent the needle, 16, is a horizontal presser foot shaft, 17, hearinga presser foot, 18, which presses toward the inner arm, 5,

of the head, B, (see Figs. 2, 7, 8, and 10). The fabric to be sewedpasses between said presser foot and said arm, in the directionindicated by the arrow in Fig. 8. Said arm is given a forward extension,19, to afford a greater bearing for the fabric. The lower forward cornerof the presser foot is curved horizontally toward the arm, 5, as shownin Figs. 19 and 20. In Fig, 19, said curved portion is slitted away fromthe portion above. Such curved port-ion serves tosupport the threadinfront of the cutting edge, 21, of the stationary cutting member, 20,andretain the thread in pwsition when the movable cutting memberdescends. Said stationary cutting member is located adjacent the forwardface of the arm, 5, transversely of the plane traversed by the fabric,the cutting edge, 21, being adjacent the plane of the fabric and thepath of the thread. Said cutting member is suitably secured to abracket, 22, which is integral with a plate, 23, applied fiatwise to thehead standard, 3, and secured thereto by means of screw-bolts, 24,extending through said plate into said standard (Figs. 7, 8, and 11).And to said bracket is hinged the movable cutting member, 25, by meansof a bolt or rivet, 26, extendi,ng through an aperture, 27,

in said cutting member (Figs. 12, 7, and 8).

The free end of said cutting member, 25, is turned downward to form afinger, 28, having a cutting edge, 29, directed toward the hinge of saidcutting member, 25, and in proper position to engage the cutting edge,21, of the stationary cutting member, 20, when the free end of saidmember, 25, is lowered by turning said member upon the hinge formed bymeans of'the bolt or rivet, 26. For the normal holding of the free endof the cutting member, 25, in the elevated positionoutof the path of thethreadone end of a contracting coiled spring, 30, is se cured to thehead, B, at 31, while the other I end of-said" spring is attached tosaid member, 25, in an apertured ear, v32. 'For the manual depressing ofsaid cutting member, 25, a hand lever, 33, is hingedby one end to theforwardend of the plate 23, by means of a belt or shaft, 34, whilebetween its ends said hand lever is coupled to said cutting member, 25,by means of a connecting link, 35, the upper end of said link beingjoined to said lever by means of a bolt or rivet, 36, while the lowerend of said link is coupled to said cutting member by means of a bolt orrivet, 37, extending through an apertured car, 38, in the'member, 25.From an inspection of the drawing it will bereadily understood thatdownward pressure) upbn the hand piece, 39, will cause downward movementof the cutting member, 25, in opposition to the lifting action of thespring, 30; The cutting mechanism is also combined with mechanism forcontrolling the sewing mechanism in such manner as to opcrate thecutting mechanism when said conwhen the operation of the sewingmechanism ceases.

The band wheel, 11, is loose on the shaft, 10, and adjacent thereto is aclutch, 40, located on said shaft and controlled by a lever, 41. Fromsaid lever a connecting member or link, 42, extends downward to an arm,43, on a rock shaft, 44, mounted in bearings, 45 and 46, said rock shaftextending transversely beneath the conveyer and having at its front endan upright arm,.47, the upper end of which bears a horizontal portion orhead, 48, which isin proper position to be engaged by the operator. Acontracting coiled spring, 49, may be coupled by one end to the arm, 43,and by the other end to the frame of the machine at. 50. Said springtends to raise said arm, 43, and turn the rock shaft, 44, so as to bringthe "arm, 47, toward the operator. Lateral movement by the operator soas to bear against the arm, 47 will turn the rock shaft in the oppositedirection andcause the arm, 43, to draw the link, .42, downward and turnthe clutch tion of the frame of the machine, and thence upward to anaperture, 54, in a downward extension, 55, on the movable cuttingmember, 25. When the rock shaft, 44, is turned so as to depress the freeend of said arm, 51, said cord, 52, and the cutting member, 25, aredrawn downward, and the cutting edge of said cutting member passes overthe cutting edge of the stationary cutting member, 20, whereby thethreads then in position in front of the stationary cutting member aresevered.

It will be observed that the rock shaft, 44, is turned by thecontraction ofthe spring, 49, for the downward movement of the arm, 51;and, since the downward movement of said arm involves the stretching ofthe spring, 30, the spring, 49,, must be so strong as to overcome thespring, 30, and the friction and inertia concerned in the movements ofthe parts and the resistance offered to the zontal presser foot bar, ofapresserfoot sup ported by said presser foot bar and having a lowerlaterally-directed portion for supporting and guiding the thread,thread-cutting mechanism supported adjacent to and independently of saidpresser foot, a spring for moving one of the cutting members away fromthe other, and a stronger spring under continuous stress for normallymoving said cutting member in the opposite direction against the actionof the first-mentioned spring into engagement with and there holding theother cutting member.

2. In a machine of the nature described, the combination with a sewinghead comprising a horizontal needle bar and a horizontal presser footbar, of a presser foot horizontally slitted at one end and having theportion below the slit extended laterally to form a support and guidefor the thread, thread-cutting mechanism supported adjacent to andindependently of said presser foot, a spring for moving one of thecutting members away from the other, and a stronger spring undercontinuous stress for normally moving said cutting member in theopposite direction against the action of the first-mentioned spring intoengagement with and there holding the other cutting member.

3. In a machine of the nature described, the combination with a sewinghead comprising a horizontal needle bar and a horizontal presser footbar, of a presser foot supported by said presser foot bar and having alower laterally-directed portion for supporting and guiding the thread,threadcutting mechanism supported adjacent to and independently of saidpresser foot, automatic means for separating the cutting members of saidthread-cutting mechanism, a hand lever in operative relation with saidcutting members for bringing them together, clutch mechanism fortransmitting power to the sewing head, and automatic means for movingsaid clutch mechanism out of action and moving said cutting members intoen gagement with each other.

4:. In a machine of the nature described, the combination with a sewinghead comprising a horizontal needle bar and a horizontal presser footbar, of a presser foot horizontally slitted at one end and having theportion below the slit extended laterally to form a support and guidefor the thread, thread-cutting mechanism supported adjacent to andindependently of said presser foot, automatic means for separating thecutting members of said thread-cutting mechanism, a hand lever inoperative relation with said cutting members for bringing them together,clutch mechanism for transmitting power to the sewing head, andautomatic means for moving said clutch mechanism out of action andmovingsaid cutting members into engagement with each other.

5. In a machine of the nature'described, a

sewing head, thread-cutting members, a spring for putting said cuttingmembers out oi action, and a stronger spring connected with said cuttingmembers so as to by said springs power move the cutting members intoengagement with each other and so hold them, and mechanism combined withsaid stronger spring and controlled by the operator for overcoming theaction of said stronger spring.

6. In a machine of the nature described, a sewing head, thread-cuttingmechanism comprising two cutting members, a spring for separating thecutting members of said thread-cutting mechanism, a hand lever inoperative relation with said cutting mem bers for bringing themtogether, clutch mechanism for transmitting power to the sewing head,anda stronger spring for moving said clutch mechanism out of action andmoving said cutting members into engagement with each other and soholding them.

7. In a machine of the nature described, a sewing head, thread-cuttingmechanism comprising two cutting members, automatic means for separatingthe cutting members of said thread-cutting mechanism, a hand lever in ooerative relation with said cutting members or bringing them together,clutch mechanism for transmitting power to the sewing head, a rock-shaftin operative relation with said clutch mechanism, and automatic meansfor turning said rock-shaft to put said clutch mechanism out of actionand for moving said cutting members into engagement with each other.

8. In a machine of the nature described, a sewing head, thread-cuttingmechanism comprising two cutting members, a spring for separating thecutting members of said thread-cutting mechanism, clutch mechanism fortransmitting power to the sewing head, a spring, stronger than saidfirst-mentioned spring, in operative relation with said clutch mechanismfor putting the latter out of action and connected with one of saidcutting members for by said springs power moving said cutting memberinto engagement with the other cutting member in opposition to thefirst-mentioned spriiw.

9. In a machine of the nature described, a sewing head, threadcuttingmechanism comprising two cutting members, a spring for separating thecutting members of said thread-cutting mechanism, clutch mechanism fortransmitting power to the sewing head, a rock-shaft in operativerelation with said clutch mechanism, a spring, stronger than thefirst-mentioned spring, in operative relation with said rock-shaft andone of the cutting members of said thread-cutting mechanism forsimultaneously moving said cutting member into engagement with the othercutting member, against the action of said first-mentioned spring, andturning said rock-shaft for putting said clutch mechanism out of action.

10. In a machine of the nature described, a sewing head, thread-cuttingmechanism, driving mechanism for said sewing head, automatic mechanismin operative relation with said driving mechanism and said cuttingmechanism for simultaneously putting said driving mechanism out ofaction and said cutting mechanism into action, and a hand lever distinctfrom said automatic mechanism and in operative relation with saidthread-cutting mechanism for manually putting the latter into action.

11. In a machine of the nature described, a sewing head,thread-cuttingmechanism, driving mechanism for said sewing head, automatic mechanismin operative relation with said driving mechanism and said cuttingmechanism for simultaneously putting said driving mechanism out ofaction and said cutting mechanism into action, a hand lever distinctfrom said automatic mechanism and in operative relation with saidthread-cufting mechanism for manually putting the latter into action,and automatic means for putting and yieldingly holding said cuttingmechanism out of action. 7

In testimony whereof I have signed my name, in presence of twowitnesses, this 18th day of March, in the year one thousand nine hundredand eight.

JESSE E. MILLER. Witnesses:

CYRUS KEHR, H. R. GoFoRTH.

